ESPN Bracketology, Updated MARCH 13. IOWA is a 5 Seed in CHICAGO Regional. Bracket Matrix on MARCH 13 has IOWA a 5 Seed. #14 NET Ranking on March 13

[fezzador]

The committee is going to look at all candidates’ collective bodies of work. Iowa looked good before conference play (save for @ISU) but they didn’t really play anyone. Utah State turned out to be a disappointment, same with Virginia. It’s not easy finding a good balance of competition - you want to avoid bad losses but you also want to have more than one or two opportunities to snag a quality win. Also, Iowa isn’t the type of team that usually starts out hot right out of the gate so giving them cupcakes to build confidence and momentum is usually in their best interest at least for the first couple of weeks. We don’t need to shoot for the stars and play Kentucky in St. Louis or get a home-and-home with Arizona but we can also do better than having a sub-300 non conference schedule.

 

[Franisdaman]

Mike is obviously one of the few left who think that how you are playing at the end of the season matters. That used to be a big talking point for the NCAA selection committee. Jerry frickin Palm still has ISU as a six seed. You know, the team that just scored 36 points and lost by 17 at home against a team with a losing record on Senior night. A team that is likely to finish 4 games under .500 in their league schedule. A few years ago, that team would not get a sniff at an NCAA tourney berth. I guess now what you do before Christmas is most important?

hopefully we can get another quad 1 win tomorrow; that will help!

how much will our weak nonconference schedule come into play? Per KenPom, it is #327 out of 358 teams.

bracket matrix right now has Iowa State as an 8 seed. Their 9-6 Quad 1 record is helping them quite a bit, it appears.

Iowa #15 in the NET

2-6 :Quad 1
6-2 :Quad 2
7-0 :Quad 3
7-0 :Quad 4
........................................
22-8 Overall Record
==================


Iowa State #41 in the NET

9-6 :Quad 1
1-4 :Quad 2
2-0 :Quad 3
8-0 :Quad 4
........................................
20-10 Overall Record
==================

 

[Franisdaman]

https://barttorvik.com/resume-compa...ec=0&rec=1&net=1&resume=1&wab=1&elo=1&power=1

I’ve heard about this tool listening to some bracketologists talk and finally found it. This allows you to compare a team’s resume to similar past NCAA tournament resumes.

4 seeds - 2
5 seeds - 4
6 seeds - 2
7 seeds - 1
8 seeds - 1

what do you think we need to do to get a 5 seed?

IMO, we need to win tomorrow and go at least 1-1 in the BTT

and think about that. We are talking about a 5 seed for this team. Preseason, nobody would have imagined that. And a 5 seed puts you in a great spot to make a Sweet 16 appearance.

 

[HawkAssassin]

what do you think we need to do to get a 5 seed?

IMO, we need to win tomorrow and go at least 1-1 in the BTT

and think about that. We are talking about a 5 seed for this team. Preseason, nobody would have imagined that. And a 5 seed puts you in a great spot to make a Sweet 16 appearance.

I think the gap between us and the five seeds is pretty big. Don’t think a win over Illinois will be quite enough.

I’m mostly happy that Iowa’s off the 7 line.

 

[Fighter of the Nightman]

Mike DeCourcy is a Sporting News college hoops columnist and a Big Ten Network studio analyst.

He does a Bracket Forecast for Fox Sports.

He has Michigan as part of his LAST 4 IN (play in game).

He has Indiana as part of his FIRST 4 OUT.

The 8 B1G teams he has in the NCAA Tournament:

Seed/Team:
2 Wisconsin
3 Purdue
4 Illinois
5 IOWA
7 Ohio State
8 Michigan State
11 Rutgers @MrsScrew
12 Michigan (LAST 4 IN; play in game)



His Full Bracket:

I’ll be pissed if 5-seed Iowa gets to go through Chicago and 4-seed Illinois doesn’t, LMAO.

 

[theiacowtipper]

I don’t care where iowa is seeded but keep them away from duke. Coach K is going to get every call this year. Write it down ncaa champs.

 

[Franisdaman]

I think the gap between us and the five seeds is pretty big. Don’t think a win over Illinois will be quite enough.

I’m mostly happy that Iowa’s off the 7 line.

thank you.

Mike DeCourcy has been around a long time; he's in the minority, but it's interesting that, right now, he views this Iowa team as a 5 seed.

 

[Franisdaman]

As of late last night:


Michigan, Rutgers & Indiana are ALL part of the LAST 4 IN (in a Play in Game). @MrsScrew


Joe Lunardi of ESPN has these 9 B1G teams in the NCAA Tournament:

Seed/Team:
2 Wisconsin
3 Purdue
4 Illinois
IOWA
Ohio State
Michigan State
Michigan (part of the LAST 4 IN; in a Play in Game)
Rutgers (part of the LAST 4 IN; in a Play in Game)
Indiana (part of the LAST 4 IN; in a Play in Game)



Current Quad 1 Records (thru March 5 Games):
6-5: Rutgers
4-9: Michigan
3-7: Indiana
2-5: IOWA

 

[kceasthawk]

Nooooo! That would be our luck. Play #12 south Dakota State in round 1. They are 18-0 in league and have only 4 losses on the season. F that.

Christ seriously? Gotta love Hawk fans. We worry about being an 8/9 seed and ending up in round two vs a high seed. So we start looking at moving up to a 5/6 and its "oh God no we don't want to play such and such directional school, they've been kicking ass on the little sisters of the poor nunery all season! The attitude should be Get in and kick ASS, and keep kicking ASS! You guys realize if we're ever going to return to the elite 8 or final 4 we're going to have to beat a couple of really good teams? Bring it. Go Hawks!

 

[kceasthawk]

He must like the fact that Iowa is on a huge roll right now.

Yep. I think he had us as a #9 just a week or so ago......

 

[HawknBadgerLand]

Christ seriously? Gotta love Hawk fans. We worry about being an 8/9 seed and ending up in round two vs a high seed. So we start looking at moving up to a 5/6 and its "oh God no we don't want to play such and such directional school, they've been kicking ass on the little sisters of the poor nunery all season! The attitude should be Get in and kick ASS, and keep kicking ASS! You guys realize if we're ever going to return to the elite 8 or final 4 we're going to have to beat a couple of really good teams? Bring it. Go Hawks!

I'm with you on that attitude, but forgive me for being a little paranoid. Remember our matchup as a #3 seed vs NW state? How about the hot Oregon team last year as a second round matchup? They were better than they were seeded, no? But you're right, the Hawks should fear no one. It would just be great to get a couple good matchups the first weekend, make it to the sweet 16 and then bring on Duke for all I care. Playing a team coming on a 20+ game winning streak for game #1 just seems like it would be a tough first draw (if that happens).

 

[TheTruthTheWholeTruth]

Iowa almost added a Q1 win to the resume last night with Virginia moving from 79-77. They should handle the Ga tech/Louisville winner in the ACCT. Their next opponent would be UNC. When looking at the analytics over the last month, these teams are playing equally as well. BTW Iowa is #1 from 02/06-03/06 😎

 

[Franisdaman]

Yep. I think he had us as a #9 just a week or so ago......

On Feb 25 he had us as a #7 seed.

This was his bracket then:

 

[Mohawkeye]

We win at Illinois I don’t see how we’re not a 5 seed. Regardless of the Big tournament.

 

[Franisdaman]

Iowa almost added a Q1 win to the resume last night with Virginia moving from 79-77. They should handle the Ga tech/Louisville winner in the ACCT. Their next opponent would be UNC. When looking at the analytics over the last month, these teams are playing equally as well. BTW Iowa is #1 from 02/06-03/06 😎

Iowa is #1 from Feb 6 to March 6 at / in?

 

[TheTruthTheWholeTruth]

Iowa is #1 from Feb 6 to March 6 at / in?

The world.

T-Rank - Customizable College Basketball Tempo Free Stats - T-Rank

T-Rank College Basketball Ratings and Rankings. And fun.

barttorvik.com

 

[Franisdaman]

Iowa almost added a Q1 win to the resume last night with Virginia moving from 79-77. They should handle the Ga tech/Louisville winner in the ACCT. Their next opponent would be UNC. When looking at the analytics over the last month, these teams are playing equally as well. BTW Iowa is #1 from 02/06-03/06 😎

Iowa has been a bit unlucky. What's interesting is that we could have up to 4 more Quad 1 wins if these 4 teams had not struggled so much this season:

#39 Michigan State
#43 Indiana
#62 Utah State
#77 Virginia.

Heading into today's games, here's the breakdown of Iowa's 22-8 record.

And note all of the wins by 10 points or more.

Quad 1 (2-5):
Home: 1-30
Away: 1-75

Wins
AT #21 Ohio State (13 point win)
AT #34 Michigan (11 point win)

Losses
#13 Purdue
#14 Illinois
AT #13 Purdue
AT #20 Wisconsin
AT #40 Iowa State


Quad 2 (6-3):
Home: 31-75
Away: 76-135
Neutral: 51-100

Wins
#39 Michigan State (by 26 points)
#43 Indiana
#62 Utah State (Neutral, by 19 points)
AT #77 Virginia
AT #88 Maryland (by 23 points)
AT #107 Minnesota (by 10 points)

Losses
#34 Michigan
AT #76 Rutgers
AT #93 Penn State


Quad 3 (7-0):
Home: 76-160
Away: 136-240

Wins
#93 Penn State (by 17 points)
#88 Maryland
#107 Minnesota (by 12 points)
#135 Longwood (by 33 points)
#148 Nebraska (by 23 points)
AT #148 Nebraska (by 10 points)
#84 Northwestern (by 21 points)

Losses
NONE

Quad 4 (7-0):
Home: 161-358
Away: 241-358

Wins
#329 Western Michigan (by 48 points)
#313 Alabama State (by 26 points)
#292 NC Central (by 17 points)
#281 Portland State (by 34 points)
#264 SE Louisiana (by 31 points)
#224 Western Illinois (by 21 points)
#195 UMKC (by 32 points)


Losses
NONE

 

[Franisdaman]

We win at Illinois I don’t see how we’re not a 5 seed. Regardless of the Big tournament.

hope you are right.

imo, we have to beat Illinois and go at least 1-1 in the BTT to get a 5 seed.

 

[TheTruthTheWholeTruth]

Iowa at a 6

 

[Mohawkeye]

Iowa at a 6

View embedded media

Wow. When’s the last time the Big didn’t have a 1 or 2 seed. Not saying Wisconsin deserves higher, just kind of shocking.

Continue to believe we replace OSU on the 5 line with a win at Illinois.

 

[Franisdaman]

Here's Joe Lunardi / ESPN's take as of an hour ago:


Indiana is one of the FIRST 4 OUT.

Michigan gets one of the LAST 4 BYES.

Rutgers is one of the LAST 4 IN (in a Play in Game). @MrsScrew


Joe Lunardi of ESPN has these 8 B1G teams in the NCAA Tournament:

Seed/Team:
2 Wisconsin
3 Purdue
4 Illinois
IOWA
Ohio State
Michigan State
Michigan (gets 1 of the LAST 4 Byes)
Rutgers (part of the LAST 4 IN; in a Play in Game)

 

[Franisdaman]

Shelby Mast is the Bracketologist for USA Today. His projections are based on how he thinks the committee will make their selections, not how he would want to make them, if the season ended TODAY.

On his website he brags that he is one of the most accurate Bracketologists with 15+ years experience and a 98% accuracy rate since 2005.

Shelby & 7 other "bracketologists," including Joe Lunardi (ESPN) and Mike DeCourcy (FOX Sports), came up with this bracket after today's games.


They have 8 B1G Teams in the NCAA Tournament:
2 Wisconsin
3 Purdue
4 Illinois
6 IOWA
6 Ohio State
8 Michigan State
10 Rutgers............. @MrsScrew
11 Michigan


The Full Bracket:

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[Franisdaman]

As of MARCH 7, 6:00 am CT:


Michigan gets one of the LAST 4 BYES.

Rutgers is part of the LAST 4 IN (in a Play in Game). @MrsScrew

Indiana is one of the FIRST 4 OUT.

Joe Lunardi has #6 Iowa vs #11 Davidson with the winner getting #3 Tennessee or #14 Princeton.


He has these 8 B1G teams in the NCAA Tournament:

Seed/Team:
2 Wisconsin
3 Purdue
4 Illinois
6 IOWA
6 Ohio State
8 Michigan State
11 Michigan (gets 1 of the LAST 4 BYES)
12 Rutgers (part of the LAST 4 IN; in a Play in Game)



Bracket Matrix, which currently combines the results of 123 brackets, has IOWA as a 6 Seed.

Link: http://www.bracketmatrix.com/


Iowa's March 7 nonconference schedule rank (per KenPom): #327 out of 358 teams.

IOWA (#15 NET Ranking on March 7)
2-6: Quad 1
6-3: Quad 2
7-0: Quad 3
7-0: Quad 4
............................................
22-9 Overall Record
===================


Current Quad 1 Records (thru March 6 Games):
6-5: Rutgers
5-9: Michigan
3-7: Indiana
2-6: IOWA



The Full ESPN Bracket:

Zach Edey returning to Purdue shakes up Bracketology in a big way

Kansas remains the clear preseason No. 1, but the Boilermakers have slipped in behind the Jayhawks as a probable repeat 1-seed with revenge on their minds.

www.espn.com

 

[Franisdaman]

As the B1G Tournament approaches, we won't have any Quad 1 opportunities until the semifinals.

For Neutral Sites:
Quad 1 (1-50):
Quad 2 (51-100): #82 Northwestern, #76 Rutgers (Quarterfinal)
Quad 3 (101-200): #138 Nebraska
Quad 4 (201-358):


IOWA (#15 NET Ranking on March 7)
2-6: Quad 1
6-3: Quad 2
7-0: Quad 3
7-0: Quad 4
............................................
22-9 Overall Record
====================


Here are the Current NET Rankings, Through March 6, 2022 Games:


Rank..Previous..Record...Road..Neutral..Home..Quad1...Quad 2...Quad 3...Quad 4

13	13	Purdue	Big Ten	25-6	5-5	4-0	16-1	7-5	5-1	7-0	6-0
14	14	Illinois	Big Ten	22-8	7-4	2-1	13-3	6-5	6-3	6-0	4-0
15	15	Iowa	Big Ten	22-9	6-6	1-0	15-3	2-6	6-3	7-0	7-0
21	20	Wisconsin	Big Ten	24-6	9-2	3-0	12-4	8-3	8-1	4-2	4-0
22	21	Ohio St.	Big Ten	19-10	5-6	1-1	13-3	5-5	5-4	6-1	3-0
31	34	Michigan	Big Ten	17-13	5-7	2-1	10-5	5-9	3-3	6-1	3-0
40	39	Michigan St.	Big Ten	20-11	5-6	3-2	12-3	4-8	7-2	6-1	3-0
44	43	Indiana	Big Ten	18-12	3-8	1-0	14-4	3-7	3-4	5-1	7-0
76	76	Rutgers	Big Ten	18-12	4-9	0-0	14-3	6-5	3-4	4-2	5-1
82	84	Northwestern	Big Ten	13-15	3-8	1-1	9-6	1-10	2-3	4-2	6-0
89	88	Maryland	Big Ten	15-16	3-7	2-1	10-8	2-9	5-3	4-4	4-0
93	93	Penn St.	Big Ten	12-16	1-10	1-1	10-5	1-9	3-5	4-2	4-0
107	107	Minnesota	Big Ten	13-16	3-9	2-0	8-7	2-10	0-5	7-1	4-0
138	148	Nebraska	Big Ten	10-21	3-8	0-1	7-12	2-10	1-6	1-4	6-1

 

[Iafootballfan]

Rank..Previous..Record...Road..Neutral..Home..Quad1...Quad 2...Quad 3...Quad 4

13	13	Purdue	Big Ten	25-6	5-5	4-0	16-1	7-5	5-1	7-0	6-0
14	14	Illinois	Big Ten	22-8	7-4	2-1	13-3	6-5	6-3	6-0	4-0
15	15	Iowa	Big Ten	22-9	6-6	1-0	15-3	2-6	6-3	7-0	7-0
21	20	Wisconsin	Big Ten	24-6	9-2	3-0	12-4	8-3	8-1	4-2	4-0
22	21	Ohio St.	Big Ten	19-10	5-6	1-1	13-3	5-5	5-4	6-1	3-0
31	34	Michigan	Big Ten	17-13	5-7	2-1	10-5	5-9	3-3	6-1	3-0
40	39	Michigan St.	Big Ten	20-11	5-6	3-2	12-3	4-8	7-2	6-1	3-0
44	43	Indiana	Big Ten	18-12	3-8	1-0	14-4	3-7	3-4	5-1	7-0
76	76	Rutgers	Big Ten	18-12	4-9	0-0	14-3	6-5	3-4	4-2	5-1
82	84	Northwestern	Big Ten	13-15	3-8	1-1	9-6	1-10	2-3	4-2	6-0
89	88	Maryland	Big Ten	15-16	3-7	2-1	10-8	2-9	5-3	4-4	4-0
93	93	Penn St.	Big Ten	12-16	1-10	1-1	10-5	1-9	3-5	4-2	4-0
107	107	Minnesota	Big Ten	13-16	3-9	2-0	8-7	2-10	0-5	7-1	4-0
138	148	Nebraska	Big Ten	10-21	3-8	0-1	7-12	2-10	1-6	1-4	6-1

We're going to be a test case for the committee on how much emphasis they are going to place on Q1 performance for seeding in comparison to others in similar NET positions.

 

[TheTruthTheWholeTruth]

I think we are pretty much locked into the 6/7 area. Too many teams to jump at this point in the season to grab a 5 + the resume really isn’t 5 worthy imo.

 

[ssckelley]

As the B1G Tournament approaches, we won't have any Quad 1 opportunities until the semifinals.

For Neutral Sites:
Quad 1 (1-50):
Quad 2 (51-100): #82 Northwestern, #76 Rutgers (Quarterfinal)
Quad 3 (101-200): #138 Nebraska
Quad 4 (201-358):


IOWA (#15 NET Ranking on March 7)
2-6: Quad 1
6-3: Quad 2
7-0: Quad 3
7-0: Quad 4
............................................
22-9 Overall Record
====================


Here are the Current NET Rankings, Through March 6, 2022 Games:


Rank..Previous..Record...Road..Neutral..Home..Quad1...Quad 2...Quad 3...Quad 4

13	13	Purdue	Big Ten	25-6	5-5	4-0	16-1	7-5	5-1	7-0	6-0
14	14	Illinois	Big Ten	22-8	7-4	2-1	13-3	6-5	6-3	6-0	4-0
15	15	Iowa	Big Ten	22-9	6-6	1-0	15-3	2-6	6-3	7-0	7-0
21	20	Wisconsin	Big Ten	24-6	9-2	3-0	12-4	8-3	8-1	4-2	4-0
22	21	Ohio St.	Big Ten	19-10	5-6	1-1	13-3	5-5	5-4	6-1	3-0
31	34	Michigan	Big Ten	17-13	5-7	2-1	10-5	5-9	3-3	6-1	3-0
40	39	Michigan St.	Big Ten	20-11	5-6	3-2	12-3	4-8	7-2	6-1	3-0
44	43	Indiana	Big Ten	18-12	3-8	1-0	14-4	3-7	3-4	5-1	7-0
76	76	Rutgers	Big Ten	18-12	4-9	0-0	14-3	6-5	3-4	4-2	5-1
82	84	Northwestern	Big Ten	13-15	3-8	1-1	9-6	1-10	2-3	4-2	6-0
89	88	Maryland	Big Ten	15-16	3-7	2-1	10-8	2-9	5-3	4-4	4-0
93	93	Penn St.	Big Ten	12-16	1-10	1-1	10-5	1-9	3-5	4-2	4-0
107	107	Minnesota	Big Ten	13-16	3-9	2-0	8-7	2-10	0-5	7-1	4-0
138	148	Nebraska	Big Ten	10-21	3-8	0-1	7-12	2-10	1-6	1-4	6-1

From a BTT seeding stand point I'm glad Iowa was able to get to the 5 seed but, OTOH, even if Iowa does reach the semi finals they will not be adding any wins that will help the resume. Rutgers and Northwestern are Q2 games and Nebraska would be a Q3. I am hoping Northwestern can knock off Nebraska.

 

[Franisdaman]

We're going to be a test case for the committee on how much emphasis they are going to place on Q1 performance for seeding in comparison to others in similar NET positions.

Iowa clearly is not on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Rutgers, Michigan, and IU are.

I wonder if the Tournament Committee also brings up nonconference strength of schedules.

imo, this (along w/ Quad 1 performance) is why Michigan is still considered in the NCAA Tournament field and Iowa is getting dinged (Iowa's NET suggests they are a 4 seed but most consider them a 6 seed).

If you were on the NCAA Tournament committee, what would you do with Rutgers, Michigan and Indiana? What do they need to do in the BTT? That question goes to @TheTruthTheWholeTruth , @ssckelley , or anyone else, as well.

Current Quad 1 Records (thru March 6 Games):
6-5: Rutgers.....(NET Ranking: #76)
5-9: Michigan...(NET Ranking: #31)
3-7: Indiana.......(NET Ranking: #44)
2-6: IOWA........(NET Ranking: #15)

Current KenPom Nonconference Strength of Schedules:
23: Michigan
324: Indiana
327: IOWA
355: Rutgers

 

[Franisdaman]

I think we are pretty much locked into the 6/7 area. Too many teams to jump at this point in the season to grab a 5 + the resume really isn’t 5 worthy imo.

what do we need to do in the BTT to hold on to the 6 seed?

is going 1-1 enough?

 

[Ronman]

All the experts don't seem to be expecting too much from the B1G this tournament. Purdue is generally the highest ranked and they are usually in double digits. Pretty much the opposite of last year. Hopefully the results are reversed as well and we have several teams advance.

 

[Iafootballfan]

All the experts don't seem to be expecting too much from the B1G this tournament. Purdue is generally the highest ranked and they are usually in double digits. Pretty much the opposite of last year. Hopefully the results are reversed as well and we have several teams advance.

Upperclassman guards and defense is the formula for most Sweet 16 teams year after year. I think not having any B10 teams in the top 25 defensively is why the conference does not have any popular picks right now from the "experts."

 

[ssckelley]

Iowa clearly is not on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Rutgers, Michigan, and IU are.

I wonder if the Tournament Committee also brings up nonconference strength of schedules.

imo, this (along w/ Quad 1 performance) is why Michigan is still considered in the NCAA Tournament field and Iowa is getting dinged (Iowa's NET suggests they are a 4 seed but most consider them a 6 seed).

If you were on the NCAA Tournament committee, what would you do with Rutgers, Michigan and Indiana? What do they need to do in the BTT? That question goes to @TheTruthTheWholeTruth , @ssckelley , or anyone else, as well.

Current Quad 1 Records (thru March 6 Games):
6-5: Rutgers.....(NET Ranking: #76)
5-9: Michigan...(NET Ranking: #31)
3-7: Indiana.......(NET Ranking: #44)
2-6: IOWA........(NET Ranking: #15)

Current KenPom Nonconference Strength of Schedules:
23: Michigan
324: Indiana
327: IOWA
355: Rutgers

You and I have argued the non conference SOS, really not wanting to go too far down that rabbit hole again. Does it play a factor? Yes, but not as much as you think IMO. If the Big Ten was down this year then I think the committee would factor in the NC SOS more, but playing a Big Ten schedule is tough. Take Michigan for example, playing a tough non conference could keep them out of the big dance because they didn't win enough of those games. I think what weighs Iowa down more than anything is them only winning 2 Q1 games, they played them all close (except ISU) but didn't win enough of them to be given a seed their NET says they deserve. But I'm speculating, if the NCAA brackets come out and Iowa is on the 7 line then I'm eating crow here.

Rutgers is in, I can't see how you leave out a 12 win Big Ten team with a 6-5 Q1 record. I think Michigan is in as well, they played one hell of a schedule and pulled out 11 wins in the Big Ten, I think a win over Indiana locks them in while a loss could slide them on the bubble where you are then hoping mid-major favorites don't get beat in their conference tournament.

Indiana needs the most work, they have a similar non conference SOS as Iowa but didn't win enough in the Big Ten (9-11). They could slide in if they beat Michigan but I think they need to upset Illinois to be a lock and get to 20 wins. I think a loss to Michigan on Thursday locks them into the 1 or 2 line in the NIT.

 

[Franisdaman]

You and I have argued the non conference SOS, really not wanting to go too far down that rabbit hole again. Does it play a factor? Yes, but not as much as you think IMO. If the Big Ten was down this year then I think the committee would factor in the NC SOS more, but playing a Big Ten schedule is tough. Take Michigan for example, playing a tough non conference could keep them out of the big dance because they didn't win enough of those games. I think what weighs Iowa down more than anything is them only winning 2 Q1 games, they played them all close (except ISU) but didn't win enough of them to be given a seed their NET says they deserve. But I'm speculating, if the NCAA brackets come out and Iowa is on the 7 line then I'm eating crow here.

Rutgers is in, I can't see how you leave out a 12 win Big Ten team with a 6-5 Q1 record. I think Michigan is in as well, they played one hell of a schedule and pulled out 11 wins in the Big Ten, I think a win over Indiana locks them in while a loss could slide them on the bubble where you are then hoping mid-major favorites don't get beat in their conference tournament.

Indiana needs the most work, they have a similar non conference SOS as Iowa but didn't win enough in the Big Ten (9-11). They could slide in if they beat Michigan but I think they need to upset Illinois to be a lock and get to 20 wins. I think a loss to Michigan on Thursday locks them into the 1 or 2 line in the NIT.

Yeah, lets not argue. Lets just discuss.

Did the Committee from last year carry over to this year? I can't remember. Maybe that would give some clues as to what they are looking for and why certain bubble teams get left out.

Also, in your opinion, at minimum, what does Iowa have to do in the BTT to get a 6 seed in the Big Dance? 1-1? That's my guess.

 

[Franisdaman]

 

[ssckelley]

Yeah, lets not argue. Lets just discuss.

Did the Committee from last year carry over to this year? I can't remember. Maybe that would give some clues as to what they are looking for and why certain bubble teams get left out.

Also, in your opinion, at minimum, what does Iowa have to do in the BTT to get a 6 seed in the Big Dance? 1-1? That's my guess.

I think the only way they can drop to the 7 line is if they were to lose to Nebraska (Q3). A Q2 loss to either Northwestern or Rutgers doesn't move the needle much IMO. On the flip side I don't see Iowa moving up much either unless they can pull off an upset over Illinois and it might even take winning the entire thing to move them up to the 4/5 lines.

 

[Franisdaman]

I think the only way they can drop to the 7 line is if they were to lose to Nebraska (Q3). A Q2 loss to either Northwestern or Rutgers doesn't move the needle much IMO. On the flip side I don't see Iowa moving up much either unless they can pull off an upset over Illinois and it might even take winning the entire thing to move them up to the 4/5 lines.

i am happy with the 6; beat the 11 and then probably play the 14 in the next round

 

[Franisdaman]

Upperclassman guards and defense is the formula for most Sweet 16 teams year after year. I think not having any B10 teams in the top 25 defensively is why the conference does not have any popular picks right now from the "experts."

According to KenPom, here is the B1G ranked defensively.

#20 Indiana
#29 Illinois
#34 Wisconsin
#38 Rutgers
#48 Northwestern
#56 Michigan State
#59 Penn State
#71 IOWA
#83 Michigan
#105 Purdue
#110 Maryland
#121 Ohio State
#154 Minnesota
#173 Nebraska

 

[Hawksfor3]

According to KenPom, here is the B1G ranked defensively.

#20 Indiana
#29 Illinois
#34 Wisconsin
#38 Rutgers
#48 Northwestern
#56 Michigan State
#59 Penn State
#71 IOWA
#83 Michigan
#105 Purdue
#110 Maryland
#121 Ohio State
#154 Minnesota
#173 Nebraska

Somewhere in the middle... but we have improved tremendously. Need to meet or exceed where we are now.

 

[TheTruthTheWholeTruth]

Over the last month Iowa is #1 in OE and #4 in DE among B1G teams. That’s certainly good enough to win a BTT title but the draw is super tough.